Photo voltaic solar energy is a clean source of energy with much lower carbon footprint than other sources. However, the vast land requirements of solar energy arrays may make installation impractical when available land is better suited for other purposes. The goal of this research was to investigate changes to...
Correction: 7 Mar 2016: The PLOS ONE Staff (2016) Correction: Successful Recovery of Nuclear Protein-Coding Genes from Small Insects in Museums Using Illumina Sequencing. PLOS ONE 11(3): e0151124. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0151124
Floods are the most frequent natural disaster, causing more loss of life and property than any other in the USA. Floods also strongly influence the structure and function of watersheds, stream channels, and aquatic ecosystems. The Pacific Northwest is particularly vulnerable to climatically driven changes in flood frequency and magnitude,...
France's universalistic idea of citizenry has been complicated by a history of colonialism, racialization, and selective acceptance of difference. Although Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité (Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood) is France's motto, the consequences of colonial rule continue to impact the lives of non-autochthonous French citizens today. Since the colonial days, immigrants and...
Former industrial or commercial sites that have been left unused are typically referred to as brownfield sites, or simply, brownfields. Many communities have such properties that are abandoned, idle or underused. Despite public efforts to facilitate brownfields revitalization projects, the rate of remediation remains unexpectedly slow. Efforts to resolve this...
This dataset contains trace-element data, descriptive information, and photographs for 328 field clays sampled in the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico; mineralogical data are presented for a subset of the samples. The clay samples were generated as part of a valley-wide sampling strategy designed to capture spatial variation in clay composition...
Forest health issues are on the rise in the United States, resulting from introduction of alien pests and diseases, coupled with abiotic stresses related to climate change. Increasingly, forest scientists are finding genetic/genomic resources valuable in addressing forest health issues. For a set of ten ecologically and economically important native...
Ampelisca eschrichtii are among the most important prey of the Western North Pacific gray whales, Eschrichtius robustus. The largest and densest known populations of this amphipod occur in the gray whale’s Offshore feeding area on the Northeastern Sakhalin Island Shelf. The remote location, ice cover and stormy weather at the...
Background: Epidemiological studies of disease exposure risk are frequently based on observational, cross-sectional data, and use statistical approaches as crucial tools for formalising causal processes and making predictions of exposure risks. However, an acknowledged limitation of traditional models is that the inferred relationships are correlational, cannot easily distinguish direct from...
The kinetics of laser-induced, liquid-mediated crystallization of amorphousGe thin films were studied using multi-frame dynamic transmission electron microscopy (DTEM), a nanosecond-scale photo-emission transmission electron microscopy technique. In these experiments, high temperature gradients are established in thin amorphousGe films with a 12-ns laser pulse with a Gaussian spatial profile. The hottest...
Strategic planning for forests subjected to multiple uses is important for management that sustains and balances these many uses. In the wildland urban interface where forests are in the backyards of members of the public who avidly recreate in them, it is also important to include the community in the...
Alkali silica reaction (ASR) and corrosion of reinforcement are two deterioration mechanisms in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. These deterioration mechanisms can significantly damage a RC structure and reduce its service life. Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are commonly used to improve the durability of RC systems containing reactive aggregate that are...
Community colleges serve various populations as part of their missions. Many community colleges serve the people who live in rural communities and are challenged with fewer financial resources. The term rural is not easily defined, and many variables need to be considered when creating academic programming for rural populations. There...
To survive winter, many perennial plants become endodormant, a state of suspended growth maintained even in favorable growing environments. To understand vegetative bud endodormancy, we collected paradormant, endodormant, and ecodormant axillary buds from Populus trees growing under natural conditions. Of 44,441 Populus gene models analyzed using NimbleGen microarrays, we found...
We report zero kinetic energy (ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy of benzo[h]quinoline (BhQ) via resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) through the first electronically excited state S₁. From the simulated REMPI spectra with and without Herzberg–Teller coupling, we conclude that vibronic coupling plays a minor but observable role in the electronic excitation to...
Forecasting of ocean waves over a short duration on the order of tens of seconds was approached with the optimization of wave energy conversion in mind. This study outlines the development of an artificial neural network model, specifically the Nonlinear Autoregressive Network with Exogenous Input (NARX), to predict a wave-by-wave...
Faidherbia albida is a widely used tree species in sub-Saharan Africa, promoted for use in parkland agroforestry systems based on reduced competition with crops during the rainy season from its reverse leafing phenology and positive effect on soil fertility. Increases in growth and yield have been reported for crops such...
The trophic habits, size and condition of yearling Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) caught early in their marine residence were examined during 19 survey years (1981–1985; 1998–2011). Juvenile salmon consumed distinct highly piscivorous diets in cold and warm ocean regimes with major differences between ocean regimes driven by changes in consumption...
Small pelagic fishes (SPF), such as anchovies and sardines, are ecologically important due to their large abundance and intermediate trophic position that links plankton production to upper trophic levels. They are also economically important, supporting large fisheries that contribute to one fourth of the world fish landings. Reproductive success in...
A previously developed physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for bisphenol A (BPA) in adult rhesus monkeys was modified to characterize the pharmacokinetics of BPA and its phase II conjugates in adult humans following oral ingestion. Coupled with in vitro studies on BPA metabolism in the liver and the small intestine,...
We measured fracture resistance curves (or R curves) for laminated veneer lumber (LVL) made with Douglas fir veneer and polyvinyl acetate resin and for solid wood Douglas fir. The LVL and solid wood R curves were the same for initiation of fracture, but the LVL toughness rose much higher than...
We investigate a method for numerically generating discrete scattering cross sections for use in charged particle transport simulations. We describe the cross section generation procedure and compare it to existing methods used to obtain discrete cross sections. The numerical approach presented here is generalized to allow greater flexibility in choosing...
Seasonality and drought in Amazon rainforests have been controversially discussed in the literature, partially due to a limited ability of current remote sensing techniques to detect its impacts on tropical vegetation. We use a multi-angle remote sensing approach to determine changes in vegetation structure from differences in directional scattering (anisotropy)...
Accurate and reliable estimates of gross primary productivity (GPP) are required for monitoring the global carbon cycle at different spatial and temporal scales. Because GPP displays high spatial and temporal variation, remote sensing plays a major role in producing gridded estimates of GPP across spatiotemporal scales. In this context, understanding...
The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) regulates bile acid, lipid and glucose metabolism. Here we show that treatment of mice with glycine-b-muricholic acid (Gly-MCA) inhibits FXR signalling exclusively in intestine, and improves metabolic parameters in mouse models of obesity. Gly-MCA is a selective high-affinity FXR inhibitor that can be administered orally...
Coal-bed natural gas production in the U.S. in 2012 was 1655 billion cubic feet (bcf). A by-product of this production is co-produced water, which is categorized as a waste product by the Environmental Protection Agency. The effects of varying concentrations of coal-bed methane (produced) water were studied in the greenhouse...
The cleanliness of water is a major issue with regards to humanity's continued survival. The chlorination and chloro-amination of water is essential to the creation of microbiologically clean water. However these processes also give rise to oxidative byproducts such as nitrosamines. In particular, due to its high toxicity, N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)...
Programmable conductive patterns created by photoexcitation of semiconductor substrates using digital light processing (DLP) provides a versatile approach for spatial and temporal modulation of THz waves. The reconfigurable nature of the technology has great potential in implementing several promising THz applications, such as THz beam steering, THz imaging or THz...
Understanding the interplay between environmental conditions and phenotypes is a fundamental goal of biology. Unfortunately, data that include observations on phenotype and environment are highly heterogeneous and thus difficult to find and integrate. One approach that is likely to improve the status quo involves the use of ontologies to standardize...
This dissertation describes the racemic and enantioselective synthesis cavicularin. Cavicularin is a macrocyclic bisbibenzyls family member natural product. It has been an attractive synthetic target due to its intriguing structure: the macrocyclic core imparts sufficient strain on the system to force one benzene rings to adopt a boat-shaped conformation, out...
Red Light Running (RLR) is a safety hazard at signalized intersections in Oregon and throughout the United States. Various methods of mitigating factors contributing to RLR have been implemented but few protect against a conflict when a vehicles runs a red light. Additionally, current prediction algorithms are complicated; there is...
Background:
Phylogeographic studies of aquatic insects provide valuable insights into mechanisms that shape the genetic structure of communities, yet studies that include broad geographic areas are uncommon for this group. We conducted a broad scale phylogeographic analysis of the least salmonfly Pteronarcella badia (Plecoptera) across western North America. We tested...
This work entails both imaging and therapeutic applications of biomedical optics. In both contexts, an understanding of light transport in tissues is necessary. An overview of optical transport in tissues is given, including scattering theory. Digital Fourier holographic microscopy is introduced and applied as a means of metrology via optical...
Significant inputs of hydrocarbons are continually released into the environment from anthropogenic and natural sources. Some of the most toxic hydrocarbon compounds are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are known for their ability to absorb ultraviolet light and enhance toxicity. Generally, PAHs exert their toxicity via narcosis but UV-absorbing...
Ocean circulation is an important component in Earth's climate system. Predicting future climate and circulation changes requires an improved understanding of the past relationship between climate and ocean currents. The neodymium isotope composition (εNd) of water masses is frequently used as a quasi-conservative tracer to reconstruct ocean circulation. The current...
A geoarchaeological investigation was conducted at the Devils Kitchen archaeological site, located in the Devils Kitchen State Park along the southern Oregon coast. In this thesis research, the author paired previous and recent excavated stratigraphy profiles to define culturally significant deposits. These stratigraphic units were defined further geochemically using a...
In endurance-trained men, an acute bout of exercise is shown to suppress post-exercise appetite and alter changes in specific appetite regulating hormones. Limited research has examined these responses in endurance-trained women. PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of exercise intensity on the appetite regulating hormones acylated ghrelin, PYY and GLP-1 and...
The art of medicine refers to physicians’ abilities to skillfully navigate interpersonal interactions with patients. These interactions are vital to the formation of exceptional physician-patient relationships. Certain elements of healthcare today such as the advancement of diagnostic tests, the emergence of the electronic medical record, and the presence of market...
This thesis describes a method for automatically generating and evaluating small-scale off-grid energy systems. Such systems are comprised of components such as solar panels, residential-scale wind turbines, batteries, inverters and charge controllers. These disparate components are assembled into feasible networks through the use of topological optimization and graph grammar rules....
Aerogels are interesting material systems with outstanding properties such as low density, high surface area, and low thermal conductivity. They can be used for a variety of applications, such as solar cells, sensors, or catalysts. Additionally they provide a unique model system to study the properties of small particles. Cellulose...
The Hampton Tuff is a 3.9 ± .02 Ma (2σ) ignimbrite sheet from the High Lava Plains of central Oregon. The majority of known outcrops exist to the north, within ~22 mi (~35 km) of the Frederick Butte Volcanic Center, the proposed source of the tuff. Thickness of the tuff...
Single-scattering tomography describes a model of photon transfer through a object in which photons are assumed to scatter at most once. The Broken Ray transform arises from this model, and was first investigated by Lucia Florescu, Vadim A. Markel, and John C. Schotland, [2], in 2010, followed by an inversion,...
To investigate the dynamic response of the outer accretionary wedge updip from the patch of greatest slip during the Mw8.8 2010 Maule earthquake, 10 Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBS) were deployed from May 2012 to March 2013 in a small array with an inter-instrument spacing of ~10 km. Nine instruments were...
The underlying aim of my dissertation was to contribute knowledge that may better support and foster STEM education improvement initiatives at public research universities. The two research studies included in my dissertation advance knowledge per perspectives of key stakeholders targeted by initiatives attempting to foster change, students and faculty. In...
Degradation of watersheds is a major concern in areas where adverse climate effects and unsustainable use of the natural resources have caused extensive stresses to watershed systems (e.g., increased floods, increased droughts, worsened in-stream water quality) through the years. While considerable efforts are being made to generate technical solutions that...
In this thesis I examine the question: can allowing a wildfire to burn this year result in a net positive economic gain? To answer this question I created 2,500 multiple sets of paired scenarios (called a fire of interest) which consist of ignitions, vegetation growth, and timber harvest over the...
This thesis analyzes the emerging technology of hydraulic fracturing and shale gas extraction process through a pluralistic philosophical approach. Rather than defending traditional values in nature, such as intrinsic value, I defend a metaphilosophical pragmatism centered on policy implications. I argue that different philosophical positions will, most of the time,...
Quotient rings of Gaussian and Eisenstein-Jacobi(EJ) integers can be deployed to construct interconnection networks with good topological properties. In this thesis, we propose deadlock-free deterministic and partially adaptive routing algorithms for hexagonal networks, one special class of EJ networks. Then we discuss higher dimensional Gaussian networks as an alternative to...
A history of fire suppression, growth in the wildland-urban interface, and changing climate conditions, have created a fire regime in central Oregon that is growing in severity and intensity, putting more people and structures at risk and requiring a greater percentage of state and federal agency budgets to manage fires....
Severe weather in the United States causes huge insured losses to crop and property frequently.It creates major impact and elicit diverse response in the weather insurance industry. Events like hail, storm, hurricane etc. are more likely to cause catastrophe losses. So it becomes crucial to collect and analyze these extreme...